Snap hook with rotatable lock

ABSTRACT

A snap hook includes a hook member having a gap formed by an attaching end and a receiving end, a pivotal gate pivotally secured to the hook member and having a channel for receiving the receiving end of the hook member, a locking member is rotatably engaged onto the pivotal gate and includes a passage for aligning with the channel of the pivotal gate and the receiving end of the hook member and for allowing the pivotal gate and the locking member to be rotated relative to the hook member from the locking position to the unlocking position, and a spring member biases and rotates the locking member relative to the pivotal gate to stably retain the receiving end of the hook member in the channel of the pivotal gate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a snap hook or S-hook or the like, andmore particularly to a snap hook or S-hook including a rotatable safetylocking member rotatably attached to a pivotal gate for solidly lockingC-shaped hook body and for allowing the snap hook or S-hook to be easilyoperated by the user.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical coupling devices or snap hooks comprise an elongated body memberpivotally attached to a handle or loop and including a hook formationformed or provided on one end for engaging with a cable or otherobjects, and a sleeve rotatably attached onto the elongated body memberand movable relative to the elongated body member for selectivelylocking the hook formation and thus for stably anchoring or locking orsecuring the cable or other objects to the elongated body member.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,007 to Silverman discloses one of thetypical swivel coupling devices comprising a central elongate bodymember with a hook formation formed or provided on one end and a swivelring at the other end. A telescoping sleeve is rotatably attached ontothe elongated body member and movable relative to the elongated bodymember for selectively locking the hook formation to form a closed loopand thus for stably anchoring or locking or securing the cable or otherobjects to the elongated body member.

However, the size or dimension or opening of the hook formation islimited and may not be used to lock the larger objects or the like.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,953 to Petzl et al. discloses another typical snaphook comprising a pivoting finger associated to a locking ring movablein rotation between a first locking position and a second unlockingposition, and a locking bolt cooperates with the ring to lock the ringpositively in the first locking position. However, the locking ring isrotatable relative to the pivoting finger and may not be movedlongitudinally relative to the pivoting finger and thus may not be movedto solidly engage with a C-shaped metallic body.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,025 to Maurice et al. discloses a further typicalsnap hook comprising a pivoting finger with a rotary locking ringcooperating with a locking bolt, and the locking bolt includes anoperating component designed to cooperate alternately with a notcharranged in the locking ring and movable in rotation between a firstlocking position and a second unlocking position. However, similarly,the locking ring is rotatable relative to the pivoting finger and maynot be moved longitudinally relative to the pivoting finger and thus maynot be moved to solidly engage with a C-shaped metallic body.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional snap hooks or S-hooks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a snap hookincluding a rotatable safety locking member rotatably attached to apivotal gate and movable to engage with one end of a C-shaped hook bodyfor solidly securing or locking the C-shaped hook body.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a snaphook comprising a hook member including a space formed therein, andincluding a gap formed therein and communicating with the space of thehook member for forming an attaching end and a receiving end, a pivotalgate including a first end pivotally secured to the attaching end of thehook member with an axle for allowing the pivotal gate to be rotatedrelative to the hook member between a locking position and an unlockingposition, the pivotal gate including a second end having a channelformed therein for selectively receiving the receiving end of the hookmember, a locking member including a bore formed therein for rotatablyreceiving and engaging onto the pivotal gate, and including a passageformed in a first end of the locking member for selectively aligningwith the channel of the pivotal gate and the receiving end of the hookmember and for allowing the pivotal gate and the locking member to berotated relative to the hook member from the locking position to theunlocking position, and a spring member engaged with the pivotal gateand the locking member for forcing and biasing the locking member torotate relative to the pivotal gate, and for disengaging and offsettingthe passage of the locking member from the channel of the pivotal gate,and for anchoring and retaining the receiving end of the hook member inthe channel of the pivotal gate and in the first end of the lockingmember, and for locking and retaining and latching the pivotal gate tothe hook member at the locking position.

The locking member includes a groove formed in the locking member, andthe axle includes a head extended out of the pivotal gate and slidablyreceived and engaged in the groove of the locking member for guiding andlimiting the locking member to rotate relative to the pivotal gate andthe hook member for a limited rotational angle, and for controlling thepassage of the locking member either in alignment with the channel ofthe pivotal gate or offset from the channel of the pivotal gate.

The locking member includes a slot formed a second end of the lockingmember for selectively aligning with the attaching end of the hookmember and for allowing the pivotal gate and the locking member to berotated relative to the hook member between the locking position and theunlocking position when the slot of the locking member is aligned withthe attaching end of the hook member.

The pivotal gate includes a notch formed in the first end thereof forreceiving the attaching end of the hook member for selectively aligningwith the slot of the locking member and for allowing the pivotal gate tobe rotated relative to the hook member between the locking position andthe unlocking position.

The pivotal gate includes a cavity formed in the first end thereof forreceiving a spring member which is engaged with the attaching end of thehook member for biasing and anchoring the pivotal gate to the hookmember at the locking position.

The hook member includes a latching notch formed in the receiving end ofthe hook member for forming an anchoring catch in the receiving end ofthe hook member, and the pivotal gate includes a latch member providedin the first end of the pivotal gate and extended through the channel ofthe pivotal gate for selectively engaging with the latching notch of thehook member and for anchoring and latching the pivotal gate to the hookmember at the locking position.

The spring member is preferably a coil spring engaged between thepivotal gate and the locking member for forcing and biasing the lockingmember to rotate relative to the pivotal gate, and for disengaging andoffsetting the passage of the locking member from the channel of thepivotal gate.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a snap hook in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the snap hook;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the snap hook taken alonglines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another partial cross sectional view of the snap hook takenalong lines 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a pivotal gate of the snaphook.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a snap hook inaccordance with the present invention comprises a C-shaped hook body ormember 10 including a space 11 formed therein for receiving one or morecables (not shown) or other objects, and including a gap 12 formedtherein and communicating with the space 11 thereof for forming ordefining two free ends 13, 14, such as a first or attaching end 13 and asecond or receiving end 14. It is preferable that the C-shaped hookmember 10 is bent or formed with an elongated rod which includes acircular or substantially circular cross section, and the hook member 10includes one or more cut-off portions 15 formed in each ofthe free ends13, 14 for forming a flat structure or a square or rectangular crosssection for each of the free ends 13, 14.

The hook member 10 further includes an orifice 16 formed in one end 13,such as formed in the attaching end 13 thereof, and a latching notch 17formed in the other or second end 14, such as formed in the receivingend 14 thereof for forming or defining an anchoring catch 18 on theother end or the receiving end 14 thereof. A pivotal shank or gate 20includes a notch 21 formed in one or first end 22 thereof for receivingthe attaching end 13 of the hook member 10, an axle 30 is attached tothe first end 22 of the pivotal gate 20 and engaged through the notch 21of the pivotal gate 20 and further engaged through the orifice 16 at theattaching end 13 of the hook member 10 for pivotally or rotatablyattaching or securing the pivotal gate 20 to the hook member 10 and forallowing the pivotal gate 20 to be rotated relative to the hook member10 between a first locking position (FIGS. 1, 3, 4) and a secondunlocking position (not shown).

The pivotal gate 20 further includes a cavity 24 formed in the first end22 thereof for receiving a spring member 31 and/or a spring blade orpositioning member 32 (FIG. 2) which may be biased by the spring member31 to engage with the attaching end 13 of the hook member 10 for biasingand anchoring or positioning the pivotal gate 20 to the hook member 10at the first locking position (FIGS. 1, 3, 4). One example of theoperation or the engagement of the spring member 31 and/or the springblade or positioning member 32 with the attaching end 13 of the hookmember 10 is typical and has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,953to Petzl et al. which may then be taken as a reference for the presentinvention. It is preferable that the pivotal gate 20 further includes aperipheral recess 25 formed in the middle portion thereof for receivingor engaging with a spring biasing means or device or a spring member 33,such as a coil spring 33 which may be engaged onto the pivotal gate 20.

The pivotal gate 20 further includes a channel 26 formed in the other orsecond or latching end 27 thereof for selectively receiving thereceiving end 14 and the anchoring catch 18 of the hook member 10, andincludes a latch member 28 attached to or formed in the second end 27 ofthe pivotal gate 20 and engaged or extended through the channel 26 ofthe pivotal gate 20 for selectively engaging with the latching notch 17of the hook member 10 (FIG. 3) and for anchoring or latching the pivotalgate 20 to the hook member 10 at the first locking position (FIGS. 1, 3,4). The pivotal gate 20 may also be pivoted or rotated relative to thehook member 10 to the second unlocking position for selectivelydisengaging the latch member 28 from the latching notch 17 of the hookmember 10 and for allowing the cables or other objects to be engagedinto the space 11 via the gap 12 of the hook member 10.

The snap hook further includes a rotatable sleeve or tubular orcylindrical safety locking member 40 having a bore 41 formed therein forrotatably receiving or engaging onto the pivotal gate 20 and rotatablerelative to the pivotal gate 20, the safety locking member 40 includes aslit 42 formed therein (FIG. 2) for receiving or engaging with thespring member 33 which may be engaged.with the pivotal gate 20 and thesafety locking member 40 for forcing or biasing the safety lockingmember 40 to rotate relative to the pivotal gate 20 and to lock orretain the receiving end 14 and the anchoring catch 18 of the hookmember 10 within the channel 26 of the pivotal gate 20, and forselectively or solidly latching or locking the pivotal gate 20 to thehook member 10 at the first locking position (FIG. 1) and thus forpreventing the pivotal gate 20 from being rotated away from the hookmember 10 to the second unlocking position.

The safety locking member 40 includes a slot 43 formed in one or firstend 44 thereof for selectively aligning with the notch 21 of the pivotalgate 20 and the attaching end 13 of the hook member 10 and for allowingthe pivotal gate 20 and the safety locking member 40 to be rotatedrelative to the hook member 10 between the first locking position (FIGS.1, 3, 4) and the second unlocking position (not shown), and includes apassage 45 formed in the other or second end 46 thereof for selectivelyaligning with the channel 26 of the pivotal gate 20 and the receivingend 14 of the hook member 10 and for allowing the pivotal gate 20 andthe safety locking member 40 to be rotated relative to the hook member10 from the first locking position (FIGS. 1, 3, 4) to the secondunlocking position.

The spring member 33 may force or bias the safety locking member 40 torotate relative to the pivotal gate 20 and to move or disengage oroffset the slot 43 and the passage 45. of the safety locking member 40from the notch 21 and the channel 26 of the pivotal gate 20 and tostably anchor and retain the attaching end 13 of the hook member 10within the notch 21 of the pivotal gate 20 and to stably anchor andretain the receiving end 14 of the hook member 10 within the channel 26of the pivotal gate 20, and thus to stably lock or retain the receivingend 14 and the anchoring catch 18 of the hook member 10 and the secondend 27 of the pivotal gate 20 within the other or second end 46 of thesafety locking member 40, and for selectively or solidly latching orlocking the pivotal gate 20 to the hook member 10 at the first lockingposition.

It is preferable that the safety locking member 40 further includes agroove 48 formed in the one or first end 44 of the safety locking member40, and the axle 30 may include one end or enlarged end or head 35formed therein and extended out of the pivotal gate 20 and slidablyreceived and engaged in the groove 48 of the safety locking member 40for guiding and limiting the safety locking member 40 to rotate relativeto the pivotal gate 20 and the hook member 10 for a limited rotationalangle, and for controlling the slot 43 and the passage 45 of the safetylocking member 40 either in alignment with the notch 21 and the channel26 of the pivotal gate 20 or offset from the notch 21 and the channel 26of the pivotal gate 20.

It is to be noted that the safety locking member 40 is not required toslide longitudinally relative to the pivotal gate 20 and is onlyrequired to rotate relative to the pivotal gate 20 and the hook member10 such that the length of the safety locking member 40 may be suitablyreduced, or the length of the safety locking member 40 is not requiredto be increased, and the safety locking member 40 is only required to berotated relative to the pivotal gate 20 and the hook member 10 by thehand of the user that holds the hook member 10 such that the snap hookmay be easily operated by the single hand of the user. It is further tobe noted that the safety locking member 40 may be formed shorter to havethe one or first end 44 of the safety locking member 40 disengaged oroffset from the notch 21 of the pivotal gate 20 and the attaching end 13of the hook member 10, and the other or second end 46 of the safetylocking member 40 may also be good enough to selectively or solidlylatch or lock the pivotal gate 20 to the hook member 10 at the firstlocking position.

In operation, it is only required to rotate the safety locking member 40relative to the pivotal gate 20 and the hook member 10 for a limitedrotational angle to align the slot 43 and the passage 45 of the safetylocking member 40 with the notch 21 and the channel 26 of the pivotalgate 20 and to allow the pivotal gate 20 and the safety locking member40 to be rotated relative to the hook member 10 from the lockingposition to the unlocking position. When it is required to latch or lockthe pivotal gate 20 to the hook member 10, it is only required torelease the safety locking member 40, and the spring member 33 may biasand force and rotate the safety locking member 40 relative to thepivotal gate 20 and the hook member 10, in order to disengage or offsetthe slot 43 and the passage 45 of the safety locking member 40 from thenotch 21 and the channel 26 of the pivotal gate 20.

At this moment, the attaching end 13 of the hook member 10 may be stablyanchored and retained within the notch 21 of the pivotal gate 20, andthe receiving end 14 of the hook member 10 may be stably anchored andretained within the channel 26 of the pivotal gate 20, and the receivingend 14 and the anchoring catch 18 of the hook member 10 and the secondend 27 of the pivotal gate 20 may be stably anchored and retained withinthe other or second end 46 of the safety locking member 40, and thus thepivotal gate 20 may be stably and solidly anchored and retained andlatched or locked to the hook member 10 at the first locking position.

Accordingly, the snap hook in accordance with the present inventionincludes a rotatable safety locking member rotatably attached to thepivotal gate and movable to engage with one end of the C-shaped hookbody for solidly securing or locking the C-shaped hook body.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A snap hook comprising: a hook member including a space formed therein, and including a gap formed therein and communicating with said space of said hook member for forming an attaching end and a receiving end, a pivotal gate including a first end pivotally secured to said attaching end of said hook member with an axle for allowing said pivotal gate to be rotated relative to said hook member between a locking position and an unlocking position, said pivotal gate including a second end having a channel formed therein for selectively receiving said receiving end of said hook member, a locking member including a bore formed therein for rotatably receiving and engaging onto said pivotal gate, and including a passage formed in a first end of said locking member for selectively aligning with said channel of said pivotal gate and said receiving end of said hook member and for allowing said pivotal gate and said locking member to be rotated relative to said hook member from the locking position to the unlocking position, and a spring member engaged with said pivotal gate and said locking member for forcing and biasing said locking member to rotate relative to said pivotal gate, and for disengaging and offsetting said passage of said locking member from said channel of said pivotal gate, and for anchoring and retaining said receiving end of said hook member in said channel of said pivotal gate and in said first end of said locking member, and for locking and retaining and latching said pivotal gate to said hook member at the locking position.
 2. The snap hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking member includes a groove formed in said locking member, and said axle includes a head extended out of said pivotal gate and slidably received and engaged in said groove of said locking member for guiding and limiting said locking member to rotate relative to said pivotal gate and said hook member for a limited rotational angle, and for controlling said passage of said locking member either in alignment with said channel of said pivotal gate or offset from said channel of said pivotal gate.
 3. The snap hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking member includes a slot formed a second end of said locking member for selectively aligning with said attaching end of said hook member and for allowing said pivotal gate and said locking member to be rotated relative to said hook member between the locking position and the unlocking position when said slot of said locking member is aligned with said attaching end of said hook member.
 4. The snap hook as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pivotal gate includes a notch formed in said first end thereof for receiving said attaching end of said hook member for selectively aligning with said slot of said locking member.
 5. The snap hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivotal gate includes a cavity formed in said first end thereof for receiving a spring member which is engaged with said attaching end of said hook member for biasing and anchoring said pivotal gate to said hook member at the locking position.
 6. The snap hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hook member includes a latching notch formed in said receiving end of said hook member for forming an anchoring catch in said receiving end of said hook member, and said pivotal gate includes a latch member provided in said first end of said pivotal gate and extended through said channel of said pivotal gate for selectively engaging with said latching notch of said hook member and for anchoring and latching said pivotal gate to said hook member at the locking position.
 7. The snap hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring member is a coil spring engaged between said pivotal gate and said locking member. 